“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God, for there are many false prophets in the world.”
1 John 4:1 NLT

We all want to hear what pleases us. We make sure we are surrounded by people who acknowledge us, agree with our plans, and walk in step with us. We do not like to be confronted—especially when our ways are wrong.
Yet God, in His mercy, places a few people around us who can lovingly point out our mistakes and the choices we make that are not pleasing to Him. God has given each of us free will to decide and to choose. But when our choices continually deviate from the plan of God, we slowly choose a path that leads to destruction.
In this passage, we see how God allowed a lying spirit to bring judgment upon King Ahab, who preferred pleasing lies over hard truth. The king of Israel, Ahab, and the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, planned to wage war against Syria to reclaim land. Jehoshaphat suggested inquiring of a prophet to know the will of the Lord. Ahab then gathered 400 prophets who all prophesied favorably, encouraging him to go to war.
“But Jehoshaphat asked, ‘Is there not also a prophet of the Lord here? We should ask him the same question.’”
1 Kings 22:7 NLT
Ahab replied that there was a prophet named Micaiah, but he hated him because Micaiah never spoke favorable messages to him. Jehoshaphat insisted that the prophet of the Lord be brought in. Before Micaiah appeared before the king, messengers pressured him to agree with what the other 400 prophets had spoken.
When Micaiah stood before the king, he revealed that God intended judgment upon Ahab and that the Lord had allowed a lying spirit to influence the 400 prophets so they would declare success in the war. Upon hearing this, one of Ahab’s officials struck Micaiah for speaking words they did not want to hear.
King Ahab became furious because the prophet did not deliver a favorable message. He ordered Micaiah to be put in prison and given only limited food until his return. Micaiah boldly replied that if Ahab returned safely, then the Lord had not spoken through him. Just as the prophet of the Lord had declared, King Ahab was killed in the battle against Syria.
“Then his chariot was washed beside the pool of Samaria, and dogs came and licked his blood at the place where the prostitutes bathed, just as the Lord had promised.”
1 Kings 22:38 NLT
God’s divine judgment came upon King Ahab because he repeatedly rejected the truth and chose to believe lies. The Word of God encourages us to be vigilant in the choices we make and to remain open to God’s correction. May our plans and decisions align with the will of God as He sends His instructions and guides us along the path of life.
There may be a thousand voices speaking lies, trying to convince you of something that is not from God. But as a child of God, keep your ears attentive to the one voice that speaks His truth. It is not about how many acknowledge a lie; it is about who acknowledges the truth.
As children of God, we have the privilege to discern, detect, and detest the lies of the enemy.
Choose wisely, and choose the path of life.
Prayer:
Lord, give us discerning hearts to recognize Your truth and the humility to receive Your correction. Guard our minds from deception and help us choose Your will above our own. Lead us in the path of life, and keep us faithful to Your voice. In Jesus’ name, Amen.








